The Island
by Beastial Moon
Summary: WWII time period. Henry H. is in battle when he is swept out to sea. Unsure if he is alive or dead, he finds himself on a strange island, with an even stranger black beast...   Last Chapter up! Finally!
1. Chapter 1

**Explosive beginning, not much related to HTTYD for the first chapter or so. It will pick up and relate eventually, I promise you! So, I'll let you read for yourself and tell me what you like about it. Enjoy!**

"Fire!" went the battle cry. Mud ran all around, splashing mud and into their and mouths. Guns held high, they charged towards shore.

Henry guarded the rear of the flank. He was only seventeen, but he was commonly mistaken for being nineteen - especially since his parents were unknown, and his birth date was undocumented. He only remembered sixteen years of his life, and he estimated that he had been born a year or so before he started remembering, which would make him about seventeen.

Sand flew everywhere. The beach exploded, sending the soldiers in front of him sprawling on the beach. Henry moved over their remains, trying to not let the horror of it sink in. The forces were becoming too much for their band, and they were being pushed back to the water. They were driven back, back, farther ever back into the cold and relentless water. The ocean lapped over his head. He barely could stand in the water, and to make matters worse, he couldn't swim. The morning sunlight turned an ominous grey. He could see his fellow soldiers moving forward. He tried to go after them, but the sea held him back.

It refused to let him go. The tides of war and ocean were changing, and he couldn't keep up. Henry coughed salt water, trying his best to swim – which amounted to a lot of frantic thrashing. He struggled until he lost consciousness, and let everything go. He was in the mercy of the Ocean now.

Calmness. Drifting. Forward, back, forward, back further, a continuous cycle that never seemed to stop. Sweeping the shorelines in a gentle stroke, and finally –

Nothing.

The water lapped the shore around Henry. The sunlight beat heavily across his face. The sea returned his beaten body to the land of the sun and moon. The sun beat mercilessly, intent upon waking his sleeping figure.

But he would not. It would take more than the laps of the sea, the sun and a sweet gentle breeze to wake him. Oh, so much more.

Somewhere else, deep on the island…

The creature reared his head. It stepped outside the cave that had become its nest. A cave of rotted wood and alien instruments, but a cave nonetheless. The last of its inhabitants had long since been gone, but still he stayed. Perhaps waiting, hoping, that one day they might return.

He had left behind his mate to stay for his best friend. When his friend finally left as well, he still stayed. He didn't know why. Stubborness issues that had rubbed off, perhaps. But he waited.

He stayed, because he knew that one day, eventually, the boy would return. And – Sniff! Sniff! – judging by the smells of the island, he had! The beast ran for the shore, eager to be reacquainted with his long lost master.

**Well? How do you like it? Review and let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

**Hey. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. A bit more happens in this chapter. There isn't going to be much 'action', as this is more of a psychological fic. There might be, though. I'm only a few chapters in on rough draft, so I'll just let the story flow from here.**

Hot breath. Snorting. More of the foul stench. Henry coughed. Waking up, it was his first reaction. He slowly opened his eyes. He saw the intense sunlight, and the black creature sniffing at him.

So this is what death is like, he thought. There wasn't much to it. It was a moment of grace for him. All his life, he had been searching for a religion that felt right, that felt good in his being. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism. None of it worked with him. To find out death was nothing more than this – it was refreshing. He smiled and sat up, promptly throwing up all over his legs.

He could barely tell they were his legs anymore, they were so beaten. The ocean had rubbed his skin raw, his clothes were drained of color from the salt. He stood up, his legs betraying him and making him keel over. Blood, saltwater and stomach juices poured out his mouth for the next several agonizing minutes. Finally completed with the disgusting ritual, he looked out to the sea. He wondered what had become of him. Was he really dead? He took a moment to recollect his thoughts.

Henry Horrendous III, also known to his peers as "The Haddock", for a reason none of them could explain, was a soldier of the 15th battalion of the Scottish resistance to the German uprising of 1939. Three years into the war (1942), they had planned an attack on a heavily guarded German base. Henry didn't remember much happening, and then – blackness. He either drowned, or drifted the whole way here. Where exactly was 'here'? So far, if he was dead, it really sucked.

The creature ran around, jumping in and out of the waves. His tongue held loose, an ever eager expression of playfulness upon its face. It looked at him expectantly, allowing Henry to good look at its features. It was jet lack, longer and taller than he was, even standing on all four of its legs. It was obviously much stronger than him as well. It had a long tail, with a metallic – like pipe sticking off of where its tail fin would be. The metal was quite obviously rusting away, and the worn leather on its back was barely strings. Its wings were enormous, majestically orienting themselves against the beasts body.

Its green eyes followed Henry. The ears – if they were ears, they looked more like horns – twitched. Henry felt uneasy about being with the creature. Then he noticed the teeth. Obviously a carnivore, its sharp solid edges, looked hard enough to eat through rock. Henry felt his heart beat faster. The creature must be hungry, rib bones sticking out from its abdomen. If he wasn't dead before, he was about to be.

The creature nudged up closer to him. Henry tried to back away, but found his escape route blocked. There was a Cliffside behind him. Frantic now, he looked around for another way out. But the beast was looking straight into his soul, and found it no use to run. It would be on him before he could move. His best action was to stay calm and hope it left him go. He grimaced as the beast reared, wings extended. This was surely the end now. He closed his eyes so he couldn't see it coming. The creature lunged at his feet and began to…

…Purr? It was – Purring? Henry looked down at the creature. It had its head nuzzled in front of him, gently purring against his legs. It saw Henry staring in disbelief, and deftly licked his face. Shocked by the unexpected display of affection, he didn't know what to do. He let the creature purr softly. Finally drawing courage, he patted the black beasts head. The pat turned into a sort of petting, like one would do on a dog or cat back in Scotland. The dragon was content for the time being. Henry sat down, and they watched the shore, content in each other's company.

Death isn't that bad, was his last thought as rest took him with the beast.

**Let me know how it is! I know, this fic is rather slow. Like I said, there's not much action. REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Okay, announcements. I read this amazing story a few days ago called "The Blood of a Night Fury" by Toothless-the-nightfury. If you haven't read it yet, please do! It's freaking amazing, and he's collaborating with a – friend, I guess – on an animated film for YouTube and other stuff. Check it out, there's a face book page and a trailer/making of video on YouTube.**

**That said, I'll get on with MY own story, The Island. Here's the third chapter. Enjoy!**

Henry yawned, opening his eyes. Yesterday – or what had seemed like yesterday, it's hard to tell time when you don't even know if you're alive or dead – came back to him. He smiled. He had found a friend. He looked over to the sand heap beside him. Where was the beast? It had gone, left him behind! NO! He wasn't about to lose another "friend"! He refused to believe it, denied it vehemously. He stood up quickly, opening his mouth to call out – what? Call out what, exactly? Realization hit him. He was all alone, on a strange island, with a strange creature.

What was the beast? Did it have a name? It had to have had a master at one point and time. The age the beast would have to be for its saddle (for that is what it was, in all essence, a saddle for riding) was unfathomable. Henry had no idea how long it had been alive, but it was fair to guess it had longer than any natural human.

He couldn't run after it, he was far too queasy for that. He could walk along the land though, looking for the Dark Monster. Looking, searching, in the woods, realization dawned upon him.

"My God! I'm looking for a Dragon!"

…**.Line Break….Line Break…. Line Break….**

While Henry was busy with his epiphany, the Dragon was herding the sheep. In the absence of his master, he had, in midst of everything else, a shepherd. It was long, tedious, and tempting work. The thought of their succulent flesh had nearly made him hunt them down many times. But he stayed to his oath, and had yet to slaughter one. Now that master Hiccup was back, he would be pleased with him taking care of his sheep for so long!

His ears perked up. **Dragon….** The land whispered. Something had said his species. The boy, he knew instinctively. Excited, he gave a short yelp/growl. Spooked by the sudden outburst, the sheep scattered, running in all different directions. He glided above the sheep, landing in front of some of them. He ran all around in a desperate attempt to herd them back together.

…**.Line Break….Line Break…. Line Break….**

Henry heard the dragon – yelp? It was like a bark, but more guttural, and like a growl. He followed the sound over a hill, and found the dragon. And the Sheep. It was just too much for him. He burst out laughing. It was a hearty, healthy laugh that emanated deep from within his being. The sheep were back together again, grazing peacefully.

The black Dragon huffed, and looked up to the laughing stock. Why was he laughing? The sounds puzzled him. He was not insulted, rather, he was curious. Like the first time he had met the boy. The master was – different, somehow. He smelled of the boy, he looked similar to the boy, but for some reason, he did not ACT like the boy. Something was very, very wrong.

This human was not his Hiccup.

**Another Short Chapter, I know. I'll get another one up quickly. Review! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**I hope you all are enjoying this story so far. I understand its slow start, but it's my personal belief that it's better to get the reader aware of the emotional conflicts the protagonist is going through. If none of you understood that, then just ignore me. If you did, congratulations. Here's a cookie. Now on to the story.**

The dragon went back up to the Human, who was now resting beneath a tree. He had a half eaten apple in his hand, and with the other he rubbed his forehead. The Dragon sniffed again, being more careful with his senses. There was no denying it. While there was the faint smell of his former friend, the overall smell was NOT him. He growled in distaste, and lumbered off.

Henry sat deep in thought. Was he dead? Or was he alive, but lost on some godforsaken island? He knew of the advancements in technology, but was it possible they had missed the island? No, the logical part of his mind argued. There's no way. This left the more harrowing option.

He was dead. If this was the case, then the dragon must be some sort of Guide in the afterlife. Judging by the Beast's growl only minutes ago, something about Henry put himself off. It was more than likely best not to go looking for him. He came to realize, alive or no, he needed to better prepare himself. The day had gotten colder than the day before, a sure sign winter was on the way. Henry stood up, and trotted off towards the village.

The Village itself was old. Ancient, even. All of the houses were made of wood, far rotted into the ground. What little he could make out of them was in a design so foreign to him, he couldn't make heads or tails of it. The only one that made sense and wasn't rotted completely was shaped like an open fish mouth. There was also the Mead Hall, but that didn't really count as a house.

It had a back door that left directly into the woodland, and the front door opened to view the sunset over the village. This must have been where the Chieftain lived during his rule, Henry thought. He decided to explore a little bit. There was a fire in the center wall, and on the opposite sides was a set of steps to the second floor. There were axes and shields lying around, and a bed in the center of the room. Some wood beams were splintered. Henry looked up the steps.

Light shown through the cracks and windows, so it was easy to see. Testing the weight of the wood and finding it suitable, he cautiously walked upstairs. There was only one room on the second floor, and it looked like another bedroom of some sort. It had a desk on the side, scattered with papers and two dusty books. He rummaged through the papers. They were old, most definitely – faded and worn; he could barely make them out. But what he could make out was breathtaking.

So many different types of dragons. The papers said everything – designs for saddles, a bola-gun contraption, tweaks to a prosthetic leg. This man must have been a genius in his time period. Henry picked up the first, and largest, book. He dusted it off, and opened it to the first page.

"Dragon types – Strike class, Mystery class, Fear class." The first page read. It must be an instruction manual on slaying dragons. The pages began to fly by. All he could think about were the horrible things these creatures could do- what sane human WOULDN'T try to exterminate them?

But there was one page left. It was the only dragon in the book that did not specify much upon.

"Night Fury. Speed, unknown. Size, unknown. The Unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Do not engage with this dragon. Your only hope – hide and pray it does not find you." A crack of thunder went off behind him, making him jump. The clouds had turned an ominous black, and the rain began to pour.

He put down the book and lifted the other one. It was far lighter, and was far smaller. It was like a sketchbook inside, with numerous drawings and designs. A scribbled out map of the Island flitted between two pages. He reached the finished sketch of the saddle-tailfin design on the Night Fury. It was a saddle with a pedal for the foot on the left, which connected to the tailfin and controlled its movements.

So. This Dragon was a Night Fury, the most feared dragon in Viking times (a reasonable guess, based off of all the Norse mythology he came across) and had come across some sort of compassionate Viking who had been smart enough to develop this system. But what happened to the Viking? He didn't like to imagine the possibility that it had eaten him, but it was a fact he couldn't help but imagine. He shuddered at what it might do to HIM if he wasn't careful. Thunder tore apart the sky, lightning sending the missing daylight darkness running for a few nanoseconds. His view of the world back on track, and his heart beat slowing from the stories; he looked back down at the sketch book.

Henry gasped and dropped the book at the sight of the Dead language he had been reading. Norse runes, unlike any he had ever seen, were in the pages. And he had read them fluently! How was that possible? His mind boggled at the thought. Seconds later, he heard a soft thump downstairs. The Night Fury was home, and Henry was in its territory.

**Thankfully, I managed to make this chapter a bit longer than the last ones. The next one should be even longer, for those of you who do not appreciate the shortness of my previous chapters. Remember, Review! I'm not trying to beg or anything, but I really do want your honest opinions on this story. And if you're wondering if Henry is Hiccup – we'll see. I am not even sure yet. I may just leave it open to interpretation. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**This chapter should be a bit longer. Thank you all for reading, and please, enjoy yourselves. If you don't like it, tell me. I am not afraid of a few flames. Or a cataclysmic fire.**

Horror of the Dragon seeped through his veins. Adrenaline pumping, he looked around. What was the best course of action? He had no idea if the Night Fury was still friendly, or if it had gone hostile on him, OR the possibility that this was a test for his soul. Although more and more he began to reject the 'dead man' theory. Whatever it's mood, it was safest to stay away from it for the time being. He sat down on the bed, praying it wouldn't come up the steps. Eventually he became tired, and laid down to sleep.

…linebreak…linebreak…linebreak…linebreak…linebreak…linebreak…linebreak…linebreak…linebreak

The Night Fury walked about, looking at the fire. Rain water dripped off his fearsome scales. The Human was upstairs, and he smelled of fear. Why? There was nothing to be afraid of, especially not with him in the house to protect him. The Night Fury curled into his 'nest' and followed the human to the dream realm [1].

Birds sang. Sunlight poured through the cracked door. The Night Fury yawned, baring its teeth. It stretched across the floor, raking its claws into the floor. He scratched the base of his tail, and sniffed the air. The human was still upstairs, and still asleep. Just like his Hiccup! Sleeping in on such a beautiful day. He bounded outside to the morning sun, ready to soak in some rays.

Creaking. Soft, but existent nonetheless. Henry woke up, rubbing his eyes. His - second? No, third, he reminded himself - day on the island, he decided to try and get some stuff done. The trees were starting to overrun the village, and he needed the timber for the winter months. He tip-toed downstairs, but seeing the Night Fury gone, he went outside to the village.

There was a blacksmith's shop nearby, and he picked up an Axe. It felt light, and fit his grip perfectly. He took a few minutes to inspect the shop. The forgery looked like it still worked fine, but he would need to teach himself how to use it. He found a smock and put it started dusting off everything in the rooms.

Some posters, of the same drawing style that the sketchbook had, were found in an adjacent room. They were of similar designs. The same Viking who had lived where he was currently residing apparently worked here. Now, the question remained - what should he create? There were multitudes of axes laying about, and he had a suitable one. He had no need of a sword.

Perhaps the Dragon-Saddle. It could be a peace offering to the Night Fury, showing he only meant to help, not harm. It sounded like fun to create as well. Spurred on by the challenge, he grabbed the leather making kit. He would have to make his own leather, since all of it that remained was rotted away to nothing.

He followed the guides to the letter. Halfway through making the leather for the mount, he felt a presence watching him. It was the Dragon. He could sense it behind him. He pretended not to notice, but positioned himself so he was looking at it out of his peripheral vision. It was curious, that much he was certain of. It also seemed a little confused. But what was there to be confused about? He was a human, working in a human a short time, the Dragon went away, and Henry could focus more on his work.

The project took a few days to complete. When he wasn't working on the saddle/tail fin contraption, he was knocking down timber and hunting deer in the forest. He had made himself a pair of pants, a coat, and boots out of deer and bear had successfully attached a soft leather inside to everything, and had even managed to find a long sleeved green shirt that fit underneath his Bear-Fur coat. He now lived in the house he had first came to, with the black dragon staying in the room below.

The day eventually came that the saddle was finished. He looked it over one last time. Satisfied with the results, he picked it up and headed for the Cove. He had found the Dragon here the day after he started the project, and knew it spent a good amount of time down here. Whether contemplating, thinking or just doing 'dragony things' he didn't know. To be frank, he didn't care. He walked down calmly, trying not to startle it. He didn't want to walk too quietly and surprise it, nor too loudly and spook it. Dried leaves crackled around him, as the dragon came up to him. He gave a breathe intake, and held out his craftsmanship.

The Night Fury sniffed the leather, and jumped back onto its hind quarters. Now in an upright position, he looked startled at what Henry had made. Was it? Could it possibly be…? Henry opened the bundle to show its purpose as a saddle and tail fin. The dragon jumped around. The boy had made him a new Tail fin! He would fly again!

When the great beast finally calmed down enough for Henry to put it on, he took off what remained of the old tailfin. He started with the legs, moving to the back and finally hooking up the tail. The new one probably did not look as graceful as the original in its prime, but it would do the job just the same. The dragon stayed low to the ground, as if waiting for him to climb on. Its tail was raised in joyous expectations.

Henry chuckled. The dragon should know that he couldn't fly. He just made it for sentimental value for the Night Fury. He turned around, and started back into the woods. He wasn't four steps closer when the head of the Night Fury forced its way under Henry, and threw him into the air. "Ah!" Henry cried out, startled by the 'attack'. He landed rather roughly on the Dragon's back. The dragon extended it's wings, and looked back to him, a mischievous grin on its face.

"Oh, no…" Henry groaned. The Night Fury shot off like a bullet from a muzzle, with Henry straining for the Handholds. Once they were in the air, Henry was able to enjoy the view. It was – stunning. There were no words to describe what he was feeling at the moment. It was bliss, it was peace, a sense of being one with the sky and the air and everything it held. This was where he belonged. Up in the sky, amidst the cool clouds and the bright afternoon sun. How cruel it would be of him to leave the Dragon grounded!

Unfortunately, much too soon for both of their liking (although it had been a few hours) they had to land. It was to be expected, they couldn't stay up in the air forever. But he had a new oath now.

"I – that was amazing. That was absolutely wonderful. Thank you." He said, jumping off. He placed his hand on the Dragon's neck, and said gently, "I hereby vow to fly with you, at least once a day from henceforth." A fish jumped from the lake, landing back down in the murky water. The Dragon's stomach growled.

"Are you hungry?" Henry smiled. The Dragon attempted to repeat the facial motions of this boy, just like he had so many years ago. "Huh. Toothless. How do you …" he was cut off by the sharp incisors erupting from his gums. "Ah, so that's where they went." The teeth retracted again. The dragon seemed to be making a point of some sort.

"Toothless?" Henry muttered again. The Night Fury's head nodded. "You're name is toothless!" he realized. Toothless smiled, a genuine Dragon smile. Maybe this was the boy after all. Henry hugged him, glad he had found a friend. He never even thought about leaving the island. Now and then, he thought of eating a cheeseburger – but he was never tempted by it. This was his home now, and where he truly belonged - on the island, with the Night Fury Dragon, Toothlesss.

**[1] This is just a figure of speech, there is no actual dream realm.**

**Wow! Longest Chapter yet! Thanks for reading! Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six **

**ONE YEAR LATER**

Henry whistled happily as he walked through the sunlit grove. He had changed dramatically since he had first arrived on the island. He was more fit than he had ever been in his life, and a new profound understanding for all life had come over him. He respected all forms of life, whether big or small, puny or important. He shaved less, although he still did so regularly with a blade he had made himself. Short stubble had overrun his chin and cheeks, and hints of a mustache shown through. He had an entire wardrobe of greens and browns. They helped when he needed to camouflage himself while hunting for food.

Toothless had become not only a close companion, but his Best Friend. It was probably the only person in his entire life who had given him the attention he needed, who loved him for who he was. His father had always been strict, being a Commander. With his mom out making money after dark (She never specified what, although he had his suspicions) and no siblings, he had been left at home most of the time. He had never made any friends, preferring to stay on the other side of the fence.

In time, they had built on to the houses. The mead hall was the first to be renovated. It kept the same artistic ingenuity it once had, with a more spacious kitchen in the back. The first time he had gone there, it had been amazing. Even the very utensils seemed to tell an intricate history of pain and loss, love and happiness. Bread crumbs from a poor period, bits of icing from a prosperous time.

He found two other large books in the Kitchen. He had been relieved when he found out about the books, because he meant that all this was real, and he wasn't dead. Getting over his mysterious ability to read the Norse Runes, he looked them over. One was a historical piece, telling the history of the Island. It was called Berk, and had first been settled by Vikings for roughly 400 years. Then the Vikings were taken over by Roman Forces, who enslaved all of them. The Dragons had disappeared with the Vikings, and nothing since had been added. Henry kept his own journal of Berk, trying to keep an accurate description of it in his roamings.

In the Historical Book, it explained that about three hundred years into their lives on Berk, the Dragons and the Vikings had been at war. It was considered a great honor to slay a Dragon. Then came the Chief's son, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. It was a strange name, to be sure. But he did what nobody else could do – he captured a Night Fury. Later, after finding it in the woods tied up and in a pitiful position, he showed it an act of Mercy and set it free. The Night Fury made to attack him, but never did, letting him go as well.

And so began their friendship, which eventually came to the loss of Hiccup's left leg, the defeat of the Red Death (a great Dragon that had controlled all the smaller ones for her personal enjoyment) and the ceasation of the War. The Night Fury, once a rare symbol of destruction and fear, had now become a symbol of power and respect. 100 years later, Hiccup had moved on. His Grand children were taken by Roman forces, and their dragons left behind.

It was a sad tale. The Night Fury, Toothless, was surely one and the Same. The descriptions in the book of Hiccup had matched some of Henry's own features. He refused to be troubled by any of it.

Fortunately, the first book also described the location of the other Dragons. A large dormant volcano island, teeming with all different forms of Draconian life. They had traveled to the island for a few days to see if there were any remaining dragons. There were a few – a blue Deadly Nadder, a Red and Black Monstrous Nightmare, some Brown Gronkles, and a green Hideous ZippleBack. Toothless – spoke – to them, and they came back to live on the island of Berk with the rest of them.

He took a look at the next book, but it was merely a Novel of recipes and spices. He tried some out. Some failed, others were extravagantly fine. Their method for making beer was unusual, but it tasted fantastic.

He made constant perfections to the saddle. Now, four seasons later, Toothless was able to fly around on his own, without the aid of the foot pedal. But that didn't hinder them. They continued to go up to the clouds daily, leaving all the troubles of the day behind them on the ground. Every time they went up, it was like breathing again. He felt whole. On land, there was the feeling of drowning in stress and the emotions of the land, especially when it refused to cooperate during the farming seasons. When he was up in the air, he left it all behind – breathing in the stress free bliss that kept him sane.

On this particular day, there was to be no work. Only feasting and drinking – their little Party of seven. The day marked the one year anniversary of his arrival, and their friendship. They ate in the Mead Hall, eating the best of the Recipes that Henry could create. Toothless helped of course, firing the ovens and stirring with his tail. The cooking done, they devoured their meals. Toothless went face first, and Henry followed right behind him – although he remained a little more sophisticated than the face first treatment. They drank their troubles away, never caring for the Hangover they would receive the next morning. It was a joyous occasion. Eventually, both of them passed out in a drunken stupor.

Pound. Pound. Pound. Pound. Pound. Pound.

"Oh, Gods." His head hurt so badly. "Remind me never to drink so much ever again" Toothless moaned in agreement. Henry walked out of the Hall and down the Hill, feeling quite queasy and trying to contain a massive migraine as he did so. Toothless tried to fly above him, but only glided a few feet before crashing into the side of a house. The other Dragons were still passed out.

Eventually their hangover's lifted, and the two were able to work at least somewhat normally. They cleaned the atrocious mess they had created the night before. By mid afternoon, they were up in the air again. "Lets head for the shore." Henry suggested. Toothless complied, soaring above the clouds to where they had first met. They circled around for a little bit, before noticing something off in the distance, in the ocean.

Ships. Two of them. This meant people. Which meant somebody had found out about Berk, his Island. A strange sensation came over him he had not felt before. This land was his, and his to keep! He could share it, perhaps, but they would not take it from him! He longed to see a human face, but if they hurt Toothless, they would get more than they bargained for. They landed on the beach, waiting for the ships to dock.

If they had come for the Island, they were in for a surprise. Oh, yes indeed.

**Another lengthy chapter! I love tangents. Hope you all had a good time reading! Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**Next Chapter. Thanks for reading. For those of you who are reading this daily, thank you for your support. I really mean it. And for those of you I am referring to, here is the next chapter. Enjoy! :)**

Henry waited for the ships to arrive. "Toothless, go get the other Dragons to hide. We don't want the humans to know about their existance until we have to. Then come back here and hide out of sight. Stay safe, buddy." Toothless huffed, showing reluctancy. But he did as he was told, knowing Henry was right. He ran out of sight into the trees, just as the ships came to a halt on the beach. Henry took on a sophisticated demeanor, one that might impose on the ship's leader.

An anchor was casually thrown over the side of the boat, narrowly missing Henry.

"Oi! Watch it!" Henry cried out. Activity aboard the first ship ceased, and then broke out even louder than before. He heard shouting aboard the ship. A tall, burly man with a handlebar mustache leaned over the ship's railing. He looked at Henry for a few seconds, and then he shouted,

"My name is Captain Connor Soleman. I demand to know what you are doing trespassing on my island!"

Henry was angered by the harshness of the Captain. "Your island?" he shouted back in fury "If the island of Berk belongs to anybody, it is me!"

"Boy, I have legal rights over this land. It was given to me, and the many fine people aboard these ships! YOU are on MY land! However, " he continued "I am willing to meet an agreement. If you would just come up here, to the ship deck…"

Captain Soleman was shrewd, he had to give him that. But Henry was already one step ahead of him. "So you can take me prisoner by your crew and take over the island by force? No, how about you come down here to my beach, where it is safe." The Captain sensed the same reasoning behind Henry's offer as in his.

"To be mauled upon by whatever rougue beasts you may have tamed, or be beaten with rocks? No, I will not." They thought in silence, letting only the howl of the wind peirce their thoughts.

"How about this," said Henry "I will walk halfway up the gangplank, and you walk halfway down. We will meet in the middle, a makeshift 'no-man's land'. Does that sound fair?"

The captain mulled it over. Finally he nodded, and ordered the gangplank to be lowered. As was proposed, they met in about the middle. The captain lit a cigar that was hanging from his mouth, and then fixated the hat on his head. He took a few puffs before talking.

"I am willing to offer the grand sum of one thousand Euro [2] for the island."

Henry shook his head. "I may have been away from my home country for a while, but I know that this land is worth much more than a thousand Euros."

Captain Soleman's cigar puffs began to come out faster, more angrily. He tried to keep his calm about the situation.

"Alright. I will pay you anything. Any amount. Name the price." He was really determined to have Berk, Henry realized. Few people would go to such lengths.

"I am sorry, but this land is not for sale. I have no need of currency, I reap what I sow I am good to the land, and the land is good to me. Can you take care of it as well as I have?"

The captain was fully annoyed now. "Now, look here! I bought this land and went through a lot of trouble just to get it. I lost an entire ship on the voyage! I am not about to be stopped by some puny boy!"

"I understand your frustration, Captain. How about this – I'll show you around the Island, and you will show me around the ship. We will at least attempt to get along for a few days, perhaps working together to form a new Country."

Puff. Puff. The thoughts turned like gears in Soleman's head. "You will give me the full layout, and allow me to take whatever protection I wish?"

"Of course. And the same goes for me."

"Well, that seems fair right now. I will be back tomorrow morning. Meet me at the base of my ship." They shook hands, symbolizing their temporary peace agreement. They went their separate ways, and the plank was lifted. Then the Captain called back, "What is your name, boy?"

"Hiccup!" Henry returned on instinct. He didn't want them to know his true name – not yet. Maybe when they proved trustworthy. Right now, however, he was worried about getting home with the enormous migraine that had erupted in his head. He couldn't think straight, the lights hurt his eyes and his eyes watered from how dizzy he was. He had just managed to get to the woods when he collapsed into Toothless. The last he remembered seeing was the concerned dragons expression.

**[1] 1,000 Euros equals approximately $ 1,332 U.S. Dollars**

**I know some of you have been complaining about how fast the character development is going. Well, that part is over – now comes the action! In total, this fic is going to be only about 13 – 16 chapters. I am not entirely sure yet. **

**One note on reviewing: If your gonna flame, flame on something other than the plot development. I've already had two people comment on how fast it's going. But don't let that deter you! Press it!**

**I dare you.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**This is the eighth chapter. Thanks to all of you who reviewed. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. Please note, that although Henry will still be named Henry, to everyone else his Name is Hiccup. Hope this doesn't confuse anybody too much – I've read plenty of Fanfics where this sort of confusing thing happened. Now that that's out of the way, read on!**

Henry was the first to give the Tour. The night before, he had made all the Dragons of Berk hide into the former Battle Arena, located on the side of a Crumbling Cliff. He hoped nothing would happen as they would have to pass this spot later in the tour.

A short while after dawn, Captain Soleman met him at the base of his ship. He was accompanied by another man, much stronger and more confident than he. He carried a determined look about him, scouring the forest. His chest was laden with a Tiger's pelt, his belt made out of crocodile skin and teeth. He had a large red beard, and wore a kerchief around his balding head. He toted a gun over his shoulder. The man looked at Henry.

"Looks like there are some deer and bear on the island, Captain" he referred to Henry's (Hiccup to everyone else) choice of clothing ensemble.

"And who might you be?" Henry asked boldly.

"Ah, yes. My name is Randolf Gutchenmein, famed Hunter Extraordinaire. I 'ave been searching the globe for new wildlife to hunt. Tell me, do you know of anything particularly dangerous?"

Henry shook his head. "No, no beasts have harmed me."

"Ah, well that's a shame. I was hoping for a new pelt, or an addition to my collection." The way he worded 'collection' sounded a little sadistic in Henry's opinion. "Do you keep mementos of your kills, Hiccup?" Randolf asked

Henry shook his head. "No, other than the clothes on my back and the meats I need for survival. I have no need in unnecessary killing."

"Oh, it's a shame. Perhaps I should show you mine, when given the chance."

"Perhaps." Henry replied – although he dreaded the thought of a room devoted to dead things. "Should we start the tour of the Island?"

"Yes, lets!" The captain said rather loudly. Henry ignored his outburst, and continued on into the forest.

Henry/Hiccup showed them around the Village. He showed them the Mead Hall, the Kitchen, and even bits of the forest. They examined the waters and his house, and what kinds of plants and animals lived there. There were wild sheep, wild boar, bears, deer, and an extremely delectable silver fish.

They passed by the Battle arena from a 'safe distance' without event. The only thing he left out (along with the existence of Dragons) was the Books. Both books were of high importance to the Island of Berk, and he did not want them falling into misguided hands.

They ate lunch and Supper in the Mead Hall, as it took the whole day to get around the Island. They finished before supper time, and went their separate ways. They all agreed that they should wait until tomorrow to show 'Hiccup' the ship.

The next morning was the Captains turn. It didn't take long to show the main basics of the ship. They started in the engine rooms, moving up to the Captain's HQ. It was around mid-afternoon when they finished. Much of the information was useless to Henry, as he had no plans of sailing a ship anytime soon.

He was walking by the Kitchen when he heard a familiar voice. "Henry!" went a girlish cry. He turned around, astonished at the strange turn of events. There, standing in a white Chef's uniform and holding a large boiling pot in front of her hips was Alicia Hofferson.

Alicia Hofferson had been his school boy crush, and if he had to go back to Scotland to see one person, it would have been her. He had tried to make a move on her once, but was too shy. She was a lone wolf, and he was merely the incompetent shy village boy. She was the only one who could actually spot him out of a crowd, although they were far from being friends. Seeing her here of all places made his heart skip a beat.

"H-hi." he stammered

"I didn't expect to see you here, Henry." she smiled at him. He just looked at the ground sheepishly, mumbling.

"I'm sorry; I didn't catch that last bit." She said.

Henry looked up and repeated himself, louder this time. "I said, don't call me that. M' name's Hiccup."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were somebody else." She grinned teasingly

"Well, I WAS Henry. It's complicated."

"Well, then. Maybe you can give me the whole story during Supper."

Henry blushed. Did she just…? "Y – Y – yeah. Sure. At dinner." he managed to get out.

He smiled as she started to walk away. She was smiling too, he could feel it. Suddenly, he heard a loud Snap! Followed by a slow creak above him. He looked up, and Alicia did too. She watched in horror as a cracked pipe was coming straight down towards 'Hiccup'.

Henry didn't have a lot of options in places to go. He jumped out of the way on instinct. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong way to jump. He fell overboard, starting his descent of forty feet.

"HICCUP!" Alicia cried out. She dropped the pot and ran over to the side of the ship. The pipe landed where Henry – (Hiccup, she reminded herself) had been standing moments before. She looked down the side of the ship in horror.

Something fast and black had come out of nowhere, tearing her view and momentarily startling her. The black thing soared up higher. She couldn't make out exactly what it was. When she finally got the courage to look back over, she was stunned to see no hint of a body. No blood, not bone, nothing. Just waves. She tried to blink away tears, only to have them pour out.

Why was she being so sentimental? She barely knew him! She picked up her pot and walked back into the Kitchen.

Randolf had seen the whole thing unfold before his eyes. In fact, he was the one who had cut the pipe in a desperate assassination attempt. He and the Captain would have this island at all costs! Guns and standard weapons would be highly advisable, for if they failed, Hiccup would know about his attempted assassination and close off any deals.

When he jumped out of the way into the ocean, he smiled as he knew the young lad was plummeting to his doom. That's why he was astounded when, out of nowhere, a large black flying beast bolted into the sky. His eye glass was covered by the beast, and he tore it from his eye.

The boy had been hiding something! Oh, this was such a magnificent beast – he simply must have it for his collection! It would be his top trophy, his prize possession. Setting his plan in motion, he grabbed a net, a knife and his shot gun. His prize awaited him.

As Henry soared into the Sky underneath Toothless's grip, he sighed in regret. They all probably thought he was dead. It wasn't so much as what the others thought, as what Alicia thought that hurt the most. Pangs of guilt crept into his stomach. He did his best to ignore them and twist his way onto Toothless's back, heading back home.

**So, it appears Randolf, a new OC, is off to find and capture Toothless! Everyone thinking he died overboard, what will happen in the next chapter? Stay tuned!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**The pace is starting to pick up a bit! I don't want to bore all of you before I get to the story, so I'll just get right to it. Starts off with Randolf's Point of view.**

Randolf gathered a few of the strongest crew members to come with him, the ones that were loyal and would not run from danger. He headed in the direction of the Village. It was a reasonable to guess the Dragon was somewhere in the village, near the boy. Or at least, where the boy USED to be. He scoffed at the boy's 'name'. Hiccup. What kind of name was that?

He remained absolutely silent in his quest. He parted the tree limbs – there it was! Just beyond that house! He could see its tail sticking out behind. One half of the tailfin was natural; however the other appeared to be – man made? Did the boy create a new tailfin for the beast? He crept up, deciding on his best choice of action. He signaled to the others to swarm around the other side of the house.

Randolf crept closer to the tail, and pulled out his knife…

…**LINE BREAK…LINE BREAK… LINE BREAK … LINE BREAK…**

Henry was in the Forgery, working on a new design he had for a peace offering between himself and the Captain. He heard a rustling outside. He looked out to Toothless on instinct. He was content right now, gorging himself on a basket full of fish. He smiled, going back to his work.

Suddenly, Toothless roared. Henry heard a loud banging outside the forgery, and the whole place shook. Henry ran outside, only to find himself caught in the hands of a large goon. A thick hand forced over his mouth, he couldn't call out for toothless. His eyes searched frantically for Toothless.

He was right across from him, struggling beneath the ropes and men that held him. They locked eyes, and in a mutual unspoken understanding, they both stopped struggling. They cared too much for the other. If something would happen to Henry because of Toothless, it would crush him. And vice versa.

"So. You're alive." Came a cold voice. Henry looked up to see Randolf standing above him, knife extended towards Henry's neck. "And I take it this - thing - is yours?" he gestured distastefully to the Dragon. "Such a magnificent beast… I shall enjoy walking past your stuffed form every day." Toothless growled softly.

"As for you…" he snapped his fingers and pointed to one of the men with free hands. The man hoisted the butt of his gun at his head, and slammed it down on Henry's forehead, and he saw no more.

…**LINE BREAK…LINE BREAK… LINE BREAK … LINE BREAK…**

Henry woke up. The first thing he recognized was the smell. Everything smelt of fish and raw meat. Where were the fruits? Then he opened his eyes. His hands were tied behind himself to a pole, his mouth gagged shut with a rag. His head throbbed with pain. His stomach felt queasy. Then he realized – he was on the ship. And the ship was at sea, that's why everything smelled so salty. He looked around at his surroundings. He was in the cargo bay in the boat. There were crates of fish and food around him. He looked over and found Toothless in a cage right beside him. The cage was pushing down on him standing, so he couldn't move. He had to keep his tail in a rather uncomfortable position in order to stay in the Cage.

Toothless whimpered, trying to get as close as possible to Henry. Henry bent over as much as he could, allowing them to touch nose-to-hair.

The door opened, and they left their miniscule embrace. In stepped a preacher, Reverend Kenneth Olberman. He carried himself highly, but in sight of the dragon a fit of fright came over him. Whispering to himself, he pulled a gold cross and a bible out of his black coat. He hoisted the cross in Henry's direction, and began chanting in Latin. What he was saying, Henry had no idea.

"The Lord, our Father, blessed is his name, cast out this mighty demon from this boy…" He converted to English. Oh, thought Henry. They think I'm possessed or something! For some reason, this made him laugh hysterically. His eyes began to water with laughter. His body ached, but it ached well.

The Reverend grew worried and began talking faster. This spurred on Henry's laughter even faster. He tried to calm down for a while, but he couldn't hold it in and it burst right back out again.

Suddenly, Randolf walked in, gun directed towards the Night Fury. He stared Henry down for what seemed like hours, and then looked towards the reverend. He pulled his knife out of its sheath, and moved towards Henry. Toothless let out a loud growl – a warning. Randolf smiled. He knew the dragon would not hurt the boy. He was safe, for now. Henry saw what he was trying to do, and stopped laughing as best he could.

The rag fell from his teeth, settling around his chin. Henry looked up to Randolf. They both stared down each other, trying to intimidate the other for what seemed to be hours. In the background, the Reverend kept chanting. Henry wasn't finding it funny anymore; actually it was kind of annoying.

"Oh, shut it! I'm not possessed; I'm a normal human being! Go preach somewhere else!" He shouted in the Reverend's direction. The Reverend seemed a little surprised by his outburst, and quietly left the room.

"Now that he's out of here – how did you survive that fall?" Randolf asked. He had so obviously wanted to know. Curiosity was etching itself across his face. Henry smiled.

"Magic." he replied, smiling. Randolf didn't smile. "Really?" He pushed

"No! There's no such thing as magic!" Henry laughed at his Naivety. "Toothless here, he saved me. He's been my friend since I set foot on this island."

"Well, I was going to tell you not to get used to its company, but I can see that it's too late." Randolf said scornfully

"You're not going to hurt him – are you?" Henry's lip quivered

"Maybe, maybe not. He has some interest to a small theatre group that could make me some money."

Well, at least he wasn't going to die.

"We'll be in our first port in, oh, five days, give or take. And this Night Fury is going to bring me a lot of fame." He looked at Henry's startled expression.

"Don't look so surprised, 'Henry'. I found your books. A clever history, no doubt. But once I reveal the location of the island, people will flock to it to see the might of my Dragons!" Henry rolled his eyes.

Alicia walked in. Following behind was the Captain. She was carrying a silver tray with a high lid above it. Seeing Henry and the Dragon, realization made her pause. She sat the tray in front of Toothless, and opened it as quickly as she could. As soon as it was in the air, she jumped back. Toothless threw himself back as far as he could against the cage, hissing and snarling at the plate.

It was an eel – a long, yellow and black striped eel. Alicia had to stay, simply had to see Henry again. Everybody's eyes were taken off the eel when they heard the sound of a gun locking. Randolf had his shot gun pointed straight at Henry.

"Eat it. Or the boy dies."

…**LINE BREAK…LINE BREAK… LINE BREAK … LINE BREAK…**

Toothless whimpered in fear and indecision. The eel, while being a dragon's natural poison, was also covered in another type of deadly poison, one fatal to humans. He could smell it. IF he ate it, he would die. If he didn't, Henry would die. Then he would probably be killed too. His decision was stolen from him when Henry spoke up.

"I'll eat it." They all looked at him. "Give it to me, don't make him eat it. Please." He was practically in tears. Randolf nodded towards Alicia. She slid the plate over to Henry. Randolf undid his hands.

"Don't even try and do anything." He whispered "Or the girl gets it." Henry gulped

Toothless watched in fear. No, no, no, no, no, no, no… please, Thor, don't make him eat it…

Henry took a bite.

And another.

And another.

With each swallow, his face became increasingly pained. His moves shaking and his swallows became slower. There was one bite left – but he would never eat it.

His body slumped over.

…**LINE BREAK…LINE BREAK… LINE BREAK … LINE BREAK…**

Alicia bit back tears. Henry had just eaten obviously poisoned eel, for nothing. The captain called in two men, who took his body out. They all filed outside to watch them throw the body over board.

Everybody gasped. The body had barely touched the water when it disappeared completely. It didn't flash, it didn't sizzle, it didn't have any dramatic disappearance – it was simply there one second, and gone the next.

**Muahahahaha! A MAJOR cliff hanger! Hope you all enjoy stewing over THAT! What happened to Henry's Body? What will happen to Toothless? You'll all have to wait for the NEXT CHAPTER!**

**REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Tenth Chapter. Sort of Spiritual. There's no deity, but – well, just read it. **

**And If Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us  
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against – Chris Tomlin**

The inside of the cargo hold suddenly erupted. Toothless was furious. They killed Henry! He spat fire at their feet, trying to set them alight with flames. What few humans were left in the room exited quickly. Two hands threw in a foul smelling canister, smoking and rolling about at the feet of Toothless's cage. Toothless got back as far as he could, but it wasn't enough. In minutes he was asleep.

Meanwhile outside, on the deck, Alicia was busy giving Randolf hell. "You said he wouldn't get hurt! You promised!"

"Hey, it was his own fault. He was the one who ate the eel. Foolish boy." Randolf couldn't help but grin. She'd get over it eventually. He honestly couldn't see what she saw in the wild boy. She'd come to her senses eventually.

SLAP!

Something about the stinging in his cheek told him that she might not. Alicia stomped away to her bunk, leaving behind the angry hunter.

She lay down in her bed, and tried to blink away the tears, but they came anyway. She looked through the books she had taken from the Captain's deck. They were his, she knew it. She could not read the strange runes though. It was something he might have been able to … The tears fell on the open book. She felt herself sobbing, sobbing, crying herself into a deep sleep.

The boat sailed on. And on. And on and on and on and on, endlessly through the blue and white void.

… **Line Break … Line Break … Line Break … Line Break …**

Whiteness. That was the first thing he sensed. Well, not whiteness, but that was the best he could comprehend it. It was more like – nothingness. Nothing above, nothing below, nothing around him. A sense of – not peace, but more like solitude. Solitude in a strange land. He must be crazy. Was this what it felt like to be in the realm of the dead?

He sensed something behind him. He didn't have to turn around; his whole body seemed to do it for him. Or the nothingness spun around him. Whatever it was, he was now face to face with – himself.

Well, himself from an earlier time period. "Hiccup." He recognized the prosthetic on the lad's left leg from the old journal.

"Henry." Said Hiccup. Henry knew he shouldn't be surprised at the lad knowing his name, but he was just the same.

"Am I dead now?" Henry asked

Hiccup shook his head no, his eyes concentrated on Henry. "You're in more of like a state of Purgatory, like I've been for the past millennia. I've been with you for a while now. I know you can help I've waited a long time for someone like you."

"That explains the migraines." Hiccup nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's just a bad after affect.

"But why wait for me? Why wait for so long?"

"Because of them." He gestured below them. Henry tore his eyes away from Hiccup, and looked down. Below them were the two ships, sailing on in the sea. He stared at them for a while, watching the busy ants work to keep it running. "I wasn't waiting for YOU, personally, I was waiting for someone like you, who could sort of – help me" he smirked

"What do you mean? What about them?"

"Henry, THINK! Do you really think the world is ready for Dragons? In my time, they were a daily part of existence. Now they're fabled myths, creatures of legend. If word got back that there was an island that still inhabited the descendants of Dragons? What do you think would happen?"

Henry was silent. Hiccup was right. The consequences could be disastrous.

"Well, how am I supposed to be of any help now? I mean, I'm in purgatory!"

Hiccup smiled. "Its time to do something crazy." Henry just kept a confused expression on his face. "Just – let go and let me handle this." Henry came closer (he didn't walk, but it wasn't like gliding either. He just seemed increasingly closer) until he was practically on top of Henry. And then he went into his chest.

Henry gasped. It tickled. All over. His hair to his toes. The white nothingness increased, ever so bright –

- And he woke up on the ship. He could tell by the salty air, the rocking motion the waves made against the ship, and the absence of the peaceful feeling he had felt in the other state. He hadn't noticed it until he was gone, but in the other place it felt much more peaceful. Much more relaxed. He shrugged.

He felt a presence intrude in his mind. **Don't worry, it's just me **Hiccup said.

They were sharing his body! Actually, it was more like a combination of the two of them. He didn't have the prosthetic leg, and the clothes were Henry's (although it was a very close match to Hiccup's old clothes) but the physical characteristics were of Hiccup. His face, his mannerisms, and voice.

**Strange, **Henry thought/said, **how are we back on the ship?**

**I honestly have no idea. Just go with it. **Hiccup replied.

**So what's the plan? **

**We rescue Toothless and destroy the ship**

**Ah. Simple and quick. **

It quickly became known that two beings could not control the same body. They struggled against each other, taking every fiber of their being just to stand up.

**Here, Why don't I just 'lead the way'. I know my way around better than you.** Said Henry

**Fine.** Hiccup resigned to the back of his mind. He turned around, and almost ran into a terrified Alicia.

"Oh. Um, Hi." Henry took a moment to take in the room. This was Alicia's room. Of course he – they – would wind up here. "Look, Astrid, It's okay. It's just me." He walked closer. **Stupid! That's not Astrid, that's Alicia! **Henry scolded Hiccup

**Well, I'm sorry for the look alike! Excuuuuse me! **Hiccup snapped back.

Henry grabbed Alicia's arms, gently holding her wrists. "It's just me." He stared into her eyes. She was scared, trying very hard not to scream. She started calming down. "Henry?" she whispered. "But you died. I saw you… you ate that eel, and – and -" she couldn't take it. She started crying.

"Shhhhh, sh sh sh sh sh sh. It's ok. It's alright. I'm here." Henry held her comfortingly. In his mind he was going **YES! I finally got to hold a girl!** Hiccup just laughed at his comment. Embarrassed, Henry let go.

"Come on, we got to get out of here." He grabbed her wrist and began for the door.

"Just a moment, I need to get my bag."

**Ugh! Women and their accessories! **Henry thought

**Just be glad its accessories and not chopping heads off **Hiccup mused

She stuffed two books into her bag, and they took off.

**More to come! Will they get Toothless out alive? Stay tuned! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**I hope the last chapter wasn't too confusing. I think it could have come out better, but I don't know how. It was pretty good, I guess… I don't know, I'm just second guessing myself. I hope this chapter will be better. But I digress.**

**Oh, one more thing. **Bold** is Hiccup thinking to Henry, ****Underlined ****is Henry thinking to Hiccup – although there isn't any of either in this chapter. Anyway, enjoy!**

Toothless stared at the floor. He was trapped, and no one was coming to save him. The girl was one of Them, Henry was dead, and he was being shipped off to who knows where. The cage was already aching his tail and to top it all off, he was getting seasick. He had never been on a ship for so long. The last time he had been on a ship it cost his best friend his leg, and almost his life.

His ears perked up. Footsteps. They stopped right outside the door. One was light, the other heavy and slow. The door opened. In stepped Alicia and – Hiccup? Hiccup was alive! How?

Then he realized, it wasn't just Hiccup. He smelled of Hiccup, but He smelled of Henry as well. He looked like a combination of both as well. It was incredibly eerie to see the only two humans he had really, really cared about inhabiting the same body. And Alicia did give off the faint hint of Astrid in herself… He was lost from his thoughts when the bars of his cage opened.

Instinct kicking in, he jumped on the boy.

… **Line break … line break … line break … line break … line break …**

"S-stop! Down boy!" Henry/ Hiccup laughed. The tongue still tickled after all this time. "Hahahaha! Down!"

Finally, Toothless stopped licking long enough for him to get up again. "Toothless, down."

This time, Toothless listened. He watched the two of them expectantly, his eyes full of curiosity.

"Come on, we've got to get out of here." said a very impatient Alicia. They walked out onto the barren ship deck.

"Alright, everyone on." said Henry. They both got onto Hiccup's Harness. Toothless did his little but wiggle, and shot straight out over the ocean. Confusion and uproar exploded across the ship. People ran for safety and others for their weapons. They soared into the air, higher and higher.

"Let's go, Toothless!" They raced down to the hull of the ship at an alarming rate. Henry/Hiccup heard the gases rising in Toothless's throat. When they were only yards away, Toothless let out an explosion. The entire front of the hull cracked. They went up, and dived again. At the same time, Alicia was trying very hard not to vomit all over Toothless.

… **Line break … line break … line break … line break … line break …**

Meanwhile, Randolf was up at the front of the Hull. He had heard the commotion and immediately seized his gun. Staying a safe distance from the diving dragon, he cocked the gun into place.

Aim for the lower section, around the front. It should be close to the heart around there. He thought to himself. Staring into the target, he waited patiently. Closer… closerrrr... in his sights! He fired, the bullet exploding from the muzzle. He heard a cry of pain, although human or beast, he could not tell. He watched as the beast pulled off the attack, and flew back to shore.

The crew cheered jovially. They had survived another day! The dancing and singing and boasting continued on for a few minutes. Then someone shouted. What he or she had said, no one could tell. But everyone was silent now.

! FFPOOOSHH!

It was a horrible sound. The front of the ship had cracked open. While the dragon, or rider, was injured, it had succeeded in tearing their ship asunder. Water was now flooding the boiler room. Panic spread, and everyone raced to the life rafts. Damn that dragon! Randolf thought.

He ran for the nearest raft, jumping on with half a dozen other crew members. He saw the Captain and the Reverend directing people in another life boat. It seemed that everyone managed to make it off okay before the ship sunk completely.

They were alone in the vastness of the sea.

… **Line break … line break … line break … line break … line break …**

Henry cried out in pain as the bullet tore his flesh. Agony washed over his feet, spreading to the rest of his body. He found it difficult to control anything, focusing only on the pain. Alicia said something, but he couldn't understand her. Next thing he knew, they were flying back to Berk. He fell asleep before they made it there. At the same time, in his mind, Hiccup was going through the same pain he had faced so many millennia ago.

… **Line break … line break … line break … line break … line break …**

Alicia couldn't stand to see Henry in pain. She told Toothless to pull off the attack, that Henry needed help. Toothless quickly agreed, and rushed back to the island. Henry fell asleep in her arms before they got to the island. She saw the gaping flesh wound in his ankle. It's going to need treated, she thought as they flew. Night was coming.

**Hope to get the next chapter up soon! The next one will focus less on Hiccup/Henry/Toothless, and more on Alicia and her thoughts. Please Review!**


	12. Chapter 12

Alicia struggled with Henry's weight. The dragon was not as fast with their combined weights on its back, but they had gone and sabotaged the ship anyway. Now Henry was bleeding unconsciously from his foot. He had been shot, obviously from Randolf's gun. Toothless landed gently and Alicia jumped off. She carefully slid Henry off the Dragon's back, and carried him inside, laying him on the bed. She grabbed some nearby rope, which she used to make a temporary tourniquet.

The bleeding stopped, she used a pair of tongs that were on his desk to gently pry out the bullet. Henry winced in his sleep, but only for a moment. Alicia grimaced, but went on. She used some of his clothes to make a bandage the hole to stop the bleeding, and let the tourniquet loose. Before she went back to the other room, she made sure his head was comfortable on a pillow and his injured leg properly elevated over the end of the bed. Satisfied, she left him to rest.

Alicia pondered on what to do next. She came to the conclusion that he was going to need proper medicinal care, and that there might be herbs in the woods that could help. Confident, she walked towards the edge of the woods. An owl hooted.

An owl? It was the middle of day (at the very most, mid-afternoon)! Weren't they supposed to be nocturnal? She ventured on. The wind breathed on her back sending the blond hair blowing over her eyes. When the wind died down and she was able to part her hair, she saw a track of foot prints - human foot prints. Made from a boot of some sort, from the looks of them.

Somebody else was on the island, and she would find out who. This was her and Henry's property now. She followed the footprints far into the woods, farther than she thought to venture. Whenever she thought she lost the trail, the tracks would reappear and she would shake it off as not seeing it before.

She found herself traveling down into a valley. It was small, but in it contained mass amounts of flowers, herbs and vegetables. More than likely, there was something here to help heal Henry.

"So. This is my Garden." Alicia turned. To the left, rising out of the footprints, was a viking girl, about the same build as her. Actually, she looked remarkably close to her features... she stopped herself from looking closer.

"You probably don't know me, but I know you. My name is Astrid. I used to live here, with Hiccup and Toothless." she said, a mixed greeting.

"Who's hiccup?" Alicia asked

"He's with Henry, the same way I'm with you. He's the one who was able to bring together Vikings and dragons - and he was my Boyfriend. The black dragon that Henry has befriended is Toothless."

"So, you're - ?"

"Dead? In a way, yes. But don't let it disturb you; I'm not a demon or Hel monster or anything. To be honest, I don't even know what I'm doing out side of Valhalla. Anyway, I'm here to show you around my Garden. No one else on the island knew about it when I was alive, not even Hiccup. It was my secret fascination – the way the plants moved towards the light, and were able to adapt to fit together in harmony. I suppose this garden is one of the reasons I realized that Hiccup was right the first time I flew with him."

"So… what does Henry need?"

"Well, you're going to want to start with putting some Mellwood over the hole…" Astrid spent the next several hours telling Alicia what types of plants to use for certain instances, which ones were poisonous, and which ones should be avoided altogether. At the end of the 'lesson', Alicia found herself in awe of the organisms as well.

It probably didn't help when Astrid disappeared inside of her.

One minute, they were holding a plant together, and then Astrid said "My teaching is done, we must go help him." and the next thing she knew, Astrid was dispersing through her! She had not expected the sudden intrusion on her physicality, but it was not altogether unpleasant. In fact, she felt … whole. It was weird.

She followed the footprints back to the house, taking the certain herbs she needed for Henry's foot.

LINE BREAK … LINE BREAK … LINE BREAK … LINE BREAK …

It took a few days (one and a half to be exact) for Henry to wake up. He groaned, the pain was enormous. He couldn't see anything, his eyes were closed. Where was he? He opened his eyes.

Why, this was - this was his house! On the Island! He turned his head to the hot air puffing on his was there, eagerly awaiting his awakening.

The large dragon licked his cheek playfully. Henry laughed, spurring on Toothless. Before it got any further, though, a voice rang out through the room.

"Toothless! He needs to rest. Stay off of him." Alicia? She sounded - different. Toothless growled and gave what Henry could only refer to as 'puppy dong eyes', but got off the bed nonetheless. Another quick lick of the face, and he went back to the fire to curl into a nap.

Henry looked over to Alicia. She was busy taking care of some dishes, smiling to herself. He had never seen her like this before.

"Alicia? Why is the house so – clean?"

"You like it? I took the liberty of cleaning the place while you were recuperating." Henry glanced at toothless.

"I guess you're going to be wanting an explanation." he proposed

Alicia kept the smile on her face and shook her head 'no'. "Astrid already told me."

**Astrid! She's here too? What's she doing! **Hiccup jumped to the forefront of Henry's mind.

"Hiccup wants to know where Astrid is, and what she's doing." Henry told her

Alicia chuckled. "She's in me. And she's doing the same thing you two were doing. So it looks like both of us have dead people in our minds."

"What about Toothless?" Henry asked. Hiccup answered through his mouth,

**Dragons are very similar to your idea of a phoenix. Well, Night Furies anyway. I've only seen it happen once. It looks like he's dying, but its more of a shedding of his current state. Dragons have 15 lives, each one lasting over 100 years. He's near the end now, but he has about two hundred years left. When he sheds his life force again, that life force moves on to Valhalla. **

Astrid continued where Hiccup left off. And we are more than willing to wait until then to move on.

"But what about protecting the Island? What about Berk?" Henry asked

**We were more than just protectors, Henry and Alicia. Did you think you came here by accident? No, you were destined to be here. To become the next protectors. Times are changing. It is up to you two.**

"As much as I don't want to, I understand. We will stay." Alicia said. Henry agreed.

So it is settled. We'll wait for Toothless.

There. Everything was out in the open. Well, almost everything. Henry and Hiccup had something planned, something they both agreed would help them. But they had to wait.

Alicia sat on the bed beside Henry, cuddling close. They were alive, they were together, and they were happy. It was all they needed.

**Again, I apologize for the wait. My flash drive has been stolen and I had to completely retype this chapter. The good news is that this is the beginning of the end – only a few chapters left! I don't have much to say right now, except that I'm glad for all of you who stuck it out and decided to wait. So to spare time, I decided to put this at the END of the chapter, instead of the beginning. I think it worked out well. Did you like it? There should be one chapter left… At least, I hope! The way this is going, its setting itself up for a sequel! I am going to try and end everything, but what has to be done has to be done. Please Review, Gracias!**


	13. Chapter 13: Saying Goodbye

The Island

Chapter 13 – Saying Goodbye

Weeks went by. Henry's foot finally healed enough for him to walk around on his own. Alicia adopted a blue Deadly Nadder, and while their relationship was never the same intensity as Henry/Hiccup and Toothless's, they still trusted each other. One day, the sun was shining, the birds were out, and love was in the air.

Spring had arrived. It was Alicia's first spring on the island of Berk, and it was absolutely beautiful to her. She kept fawning over the plants in full bloom, going on and on about them. Henry, Hiccup and Toothless had learned to tune her out but also say "that's right", "good" or "fantastic" at the right times. (Well, Hiccup/Henry did, Toothless didn't speak).

It was on one breezy afternoon that they went down to the beach. They played around for a while. Toothless took Henry's shirt and they had to chase him down for it, all of them landing in a sand dune in a fit of giggles. Henry tickled Alicia, and eventually they calmed down from their laughter. All was good.

Then Hiccup spoke up. **It's time to go.**

Hiccup's outburst took Henry by surprise. Are you sure? Can't you stay with us some more?

Henry could feel the sensation of shaking his head no. **If I stay too long, you will be too used to my presence and never able to let me go. There's only so much time a person can stay in between worlds. My time is up. It's up to you and Alicia now.**

But what if they come back? What if… he stopped himself.

There was an odd sensation in his body. Like something pushing outwards, but not unpleasant. By the look on Alicia's face, Astrid had just said the same things to her. It was a sad moment, but also necessary. The pushing in his body increased, and Henry was blinded for a few seconds. When he was finally able to see again, Toothless, Hiccup, and Astrid were standing across from them.

The two Toothlesses sniffed each other, curious. They purred in amusement at each other. Astrid and Henry chuckled at their antics.

"So, I guess this is goodbye." Alicia said thoughtfully

"Yeah" replied Hiccup. He and Astrid climbed onto their Toothless's back, using their old saddle as a seat.

"You'll know what to do, when the time is right. Take care, and be safe." With those words of wisdom, Toothless wiggled and flew straight up, disappearing in a light. Alicia and Henry watched for the sky where they had disappeared for a while, unconvinced they had really left. When there was no reply, no sign of black fins in the sky, they trudged back to the island.

**A few days later**

Henry, Astrid and Toothless went to the Cliffside above the beach. Something orange, floating in the water caught their attention. To be more precise, several orange floating things - rescue boats. Some of the seamen had survived the sinking of the ship.

Henry looked at Alicia, who nodded. They hopped onto Toothless's back, who jumped down gracefully to the beach below. Some of the boats were washing up on shore, and people were getting out. Henry recognized the Preacher and the Captain. He pulled in a deep breath, and called out:

"Welcome to Berk!"

(AN: If you want, you can try and imagine thematic music playing)

The End?

**Alright, the wait is over! In fact, this whole fic is over! I was going to go with an ending that was less of a cliff hanger, but I felt that this was a better ending, full of opportunities. **

**One thing, I am really, really sorry I haven't updated this in a long time. I got sidetracked with church and swamped with homework, and on top of that every time I went to write the words just weren't coming. I hope you all enjoyed this fic. **

**Review!**


End file.
